Neuralink and brain-computer interfaces: A medical second chance, a cure for mental conditions, and… our next smartphone?

Neuralink, Elon Musk’s ambitious healthtech company, recently announced that it has implanted the first human being with a brain-computer interface (BCI). 

It is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious innovations of our time, and one that will have MASSIVE implications on our future: telepathy, controlling computers with our minds, and unlocking our cars with a simple thought. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

So, let’s investigate…

Understanding BCI tech

In layman’s terms, BCI technology allows human beings to connect their brains to computers, allowing for a seamless exchange of information—think Neuromancer, Black Mirror, and Cyberpunk 2077.

Here’s the scientific definition of brain-computer interface technology: Brain-computer interfaces acquire brain signals, analyze them, and translate them into commands that are relayed to output devices that carry out desired actions. This is often enabled by implanting receptors, computer chips, and/or other peripherals in a patient’s brain, which are connected physically or wirelessly to a computer or device, allowing a neurological connection between the two. 

In the case of Neuralink, "ultra-fine" metal threads are implanted surgically into a patient’s brain using a specialized robot, which, in tandem with a computer microchip, allows a user to interface with a computer or other device. Elon Musk once called it, “Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires.”  

Image: Neuralink

But Neuralink is by no means the end-all-be-all of BCI technology—other firms and organizations are taking a crack at it too. 

After Neuralink announced its first successful human implant a couple of weeks back, Tsinghua University in Beijing announced that the BCI device created by its research team had made significant progress in rehabilitating a human patient who received the implant on October 24 of the previous year. Called the Neural Electronic Opportunity (NEO), the Chinese research team’s device allowed a quadriplegic patient to perform hand motions with the help of a wearable prosthetic guided by his brain, using a supposedly less-invasive technology than Neuralink’s.

Other companies innovating within this field include INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, Blackrock Neurotech and Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos-backed Synchron.

BCI use cases

Primarily, BCI technology is seen as a medical lifeline for patients with debilitating motor disabilities, such as those with late-stage ALS, or the quadriplegic victims of accidents. In the short term, patients can use this technology to control external devices, such as a prosthetic hand, to grasp objects. In the future, with cybernetic augmentations empowering our flesh and blood limbs, this technology can give those with motor disabilities a fresh lease on life.    

But BCI tech can also be used to solve strictly mental problems too. Elon Musk said Neuralink could, in the future, "solve a lot of brain-related diseases,” and named autism and schizophrenia as examples.

While these are both lofty goals for this technology, the angle I’d like to focus on is a bit different.  

BCI tech—the new smartphone?

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you’ll know that my iPhone is an extension of my arm.

As an ever-busy entrepreneur and CEO of international businesses, my smartphone is my mobile base of operations, my 24/7 secretary, my map and navigator, and my business partner. I would not nearly be as efficient as I am today without it. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I can’t live without it.

However, I’ve also come to realize that many of the functionalities afforded to me by this device could be streamlined, allowing me to be more efficient with my time and energy. In all honesty, if I could implant a Neuralink-like device into my brain for a chance to never hold a smartphone again (provided it was tested as safe), I would do it. 

Imagine writing and designing an entire business presentation by simply thinking of it, or having the ability to unlock your home or car, close your curtains, or turn down your TV’s volume at a whim. With BCI technology, a phone call could be more akin to a telepathic conversation, where senses and emotions could potentially be conveyed, so that nothing is lost in translation ever again. Future generations will look back and truly have a laugh about our “tech necks” from being hunched over our phones for so long.

But take it a step further. What if this technology could allow us to co-exist in the real world and in the metaverse? You could be preparing lunch for the kids at home while attending a company meeting in virtual space. An international colleague could attend an important board meeting as a hologram.

The possibilities are truly endless. 

Understanding people’s concerns

Still, when I share my enthusiasm about BCI technology and my willingness to implant it into my brain once it becomes regulated and approved, I’m often met by incredulous looks of disbelief and disgust, or outright criticism, and I understand why. 

There’s been a lot of misinformation circulating across mainstream media and online conversations surrounding BCI tech. Part of it is a result of the overall diatribe aimed at Musk as a controversial celebrity of the tech world whose big, sometimes outlandish dreams are not always substantiated. Another part of it is that augmentations of the human body are still foreign in concept to many, and hold many ethical and spiritual considerations for others, which is a more reasonable concern to discuss.  

The era of the internet and social media has taught us to be skeptical of new technology. From data-hungry massive corporations like Google harvesting everything they can about us, to social media platforms being used to manipulate national elections and algorithms that have altered our very mental wiring, faith in technology is at an all-time low. 

So when you bring up the topic of brain-computer interfaces, which involve invasive procedures that include drilling into skulls and inserting devices into our brains, trepidation is to be expected, if not outright dismissal. 

Then you have the privacy concern. Let’s not kid ourselves: Big Tech corporations like Google already have hundreds if not thousands of pages on us, breaking down our every online thought, search, preference, and medical concern.

With BCI implants, people fear that corporations will gain access to our minds and thoughts. Imagine, for example, if your manager could know whether you actually paid attention in your last Zoom meeting. It’s dystopian thoughts like these that push people away from this technology.    

Another concern I often hear revolves around cybersecurity, and how BCI implants open us up to cyber threats that could take over our bodies and bring about bodily harm to us. It’s certainly a chilling thought.

Innovation always trumps fear

I am always hopeful about the future. Realistic, but hopeful. 

The internet, social media, and smartphones—we would be short-sighted to simply look at the negatives they have brought about. 

The internet has connected the world, empowered economic growth, business, and education, and overall made our lives better. Social media has brought people kindred and foreign together, and fostered empathy for individuals, communities, and causes miles and miles away from us. Smartphones have made us more efficient and brought myriad functionalities, tools, and information to our fingertips. 

Brain-computer interface technology is no different. It is a bigger ask than holding a small rectangular device in your pocket, sure, but history shows us that innovation always trumps fear. If BCI technology will make companies and employees more productive and efficient, society will favor those with a leg up on the competition. Factories outmoded manual labor. The automobile left horses in the dust. Word processor software put typewriters out of business. It’s simply the way of the world. 

Therefore, we can either focus on BCI technology’s potential downsides, or embrace the change it will bring about, while maintaining tempered vigilance. We’ve been on a trajectory towards increased synergies between man and machine for many decades now, and this is simply the next step in this evolution (especially as we find a rival in AI). What it means to be human, in the traditional sense, will give way to new definitions. Organic will no longer be the de facto option, and the rise of human-machine hybrids will challenge many of our preconceptions.